Home > Three men enter guilty pleas in burglary spree in Western Sullivan County

Three men enter guilty pleas in burglary spree in Western Sullivan County

May 22, 2012 —

Sullivan County District Attorney Jim Farrell announced today that Nicholas Simon, 18, of Jeffersonville, NY, Vandaryle Malone, 18, of Bethel, NY and Kyle Freda, 18, of Narrowsburg, NY have all entered pleas of guilty in connection with a spree of burglaries and two arsons that occurred in the Towns of Bethel, Callicoon, Delaware and Cochecton in 2011.

Nicholas Simon entered pleas of guilty to two counts of Burglary in the 2nd Degree, class C violent felonies, and two counts of Arson in the 3rd Degree, class C felonies, on May 18, 2012, in Sullivan County Court.

Simon admitted to setting fire to a 2002 Saturn motor vehicle with Malone and Freda in the Town of Cochecton on December 14, 2011, breaking into a home on Esselman Road in the Town of Callicoon in November with Malone and stealing two computers, breaking into a home in the Town of Delaware on Swiss Hill Road in the Fall with Malone and stealing various property, including alcohol and hunting items, and setting fire to another home that he had burglarized and stole US Currency from on Swiss Hill Road in May of 2011.

According to Farrell, under the terms of the plea agreement Simon is expected to receive an aggregate total of 14 years in state prison and 5 years of post release supervision.

Vandaryle Malone, entered pleas of guilty to two counts of Burglary in the 2nd Degree, class C violent felonies, and one count of Arson in the 3rd Degree, a class C felony, and one count of Burglary in the 3rd Degree, a D felony, on May 22, 2012.

Malone admitted to participating with Freda and Simon in setting fire to the Saturn and admitted to burglarizing a home on Hubert Road with Freda and one home on Esselman Road and the 1906 Restaurant in Callicoon with Simon and stealing various property. Under the terms of the plea agreement Malone is expected to receive an aggregate total of 11 ½ years in state prison and 5 years of post release supervision.

Kyle Freda entered pleas of guilty to one count of Burglary in the 2nd Degree, a class C violent felony and one count of Arson in the 3rd Degree, a class C felony, on May 4, 2012, in Sullivan County Court. Freda admitted to burglarizing a home on Hubert Road in the Town of Bethel with Malone and Simon in November of 2011.

Various electronics were stolen from the home along with alcohol. Freda also admitted to participating in the arson of the 2002 Saturn motor vehicle with both Malone and Simon in Cochecton in December. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Freda is expected to receive 5 ½ years in state prison with 5 years of post release supervision.

All three are scheduled to be sentenced on July 26, 2012, in Sullivan County Court.

Farrell said that the burglary ring was broken up after an investigation by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the New York State Police. All three were arrested on December 14, 2011, after an separate investigation into the car arson in Cochecton by the Sheriff’s Department.

“These three young men were engaged in very serious criminal conduct, breaking into multiple homes and a business, stealing valuable personal property, torching a vehicle, and Simon, in an attempt to cover up a previous burglary set fire to a home that resulted in significant damage to the structure. The plea agreements and state prison sentences recognize the wave of crime these young men were engaged in and will hold them responsible and accountable”, Farrell said.